Windstorm
by kittykatloren
Summary: From the very first time they met, he was captivated by her. She was tall and slender, and it was obvious that she had not only trained her Pokémon, but herself as well. Wallace/Winona, Gracefulshipping; 6-part series of oneshots. EDITED.
1. I

**A/N:** This is my first Pokemon fic, based on the MANGA, Pokemon Special/Adventures. A very canon Wallace/Winona, Gracefulshipping, whatever you want to call it. I love them - if anyone else knows any places where I can read/post any Wallace/Winona fics, please let me know, because there isn't enough of them on Fanfiction.

Anyway, this will be a six-part series of oneshots, focusing on their relationship. I keep it canon, but also invent a lot of backstory and assume some facts, just because I can. PLEASE, read and review and tell me anything at all what you think about this. I love reviews and will try to send as many responses as possible. RECENTLY EDITED - hence the extra chapter; this used to be 5 parts. If you've already read it, I've made nice changes, so give it another shot. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** This applies to this chapter and all future chapters as well. I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize. I occasionally even borrow direct dialogue from the manga in order to keep this as canon as possible. So all those things belong to whoever originally created them, and not me.

* * *

From the very first time they met, he was captivated by her. She was tall and slender, and it was obvious that she had not only trained her Pokémon, but herself as well, for she was steady on her feet even in the heavy winds - the wide, open areas around Mt. Chimney always had dreadfully intense weather. She had straight, lavender-colored hair, which fanned out behind her in every direction. Something flashed in her pale eyes that was both beautiful and intriguing.

Even from a distance, she looked strong, determined. Wallace walked over to her, slowly, watching her train – she had a unique sort of grace in the way she moved with her Pokémon. The young Swablu flew in tight circles and dived every time the girl flicked her wrist, the timing and accuracy getting better each time. She smiled at the little bird each time it performed well.

"I didn't think I'd see anyone up here," Wallace said cheerfully once he reached her, extending his hand. "Much less someone so beautiful. I'm Wallace. And you are?"

The girl jumped around and stared at him, obviously just now realizing that he was there. Her Swablu fluttered at once to her shoulder. Cautiously, she took his hand her gaze confused and guarded. "Winona," she said. "I'm from Fortree."

"Fortree? Isn't that miles away?"

She nodded curtly. "I'm exploring on my own for a while. I love it there, but it's always good to get away."

Every tiny movement she made, every little gesture, was oddly elegant. For some reason, Wallace found that he couldn't take his eyes off her. He smiled. "How long have you been away?"

Perhaps if _she_ smiled, he could discover what it was about her that fascinated him so.

"Six months," she said, looking at her Swablu. "It doesn't feel like that long, though. Most eleven-year-olds have been on trips for longer, after all." There was a clear tinge of bitterness in her voice now, but before Wallace could say anything, she shrugged and looked back at him. "I'm nineteen. I started just a little bit late, you could say."

"Age is of no importance. I myself am twenty-three - I've never been east of Mauville."

"You have a long way to go, then. If you ever decide to visit Fortree, let me know. Maybe I'll go visit at the same time."

"Was that a clever snub to this conversation? I think it was, dear Winona. I'll just go, then. It was nice meeting you."

"No, no, I wasn't ending the conversation – you can stay," she said hurriedly. "He's a bit strange, isn't he?" she murmured to her Swablu, probably under the impression that Wallace couldn't catch her words.

"I heard that," he said, and she snapped her head up, a carefully innocent expression on her face. "I'm not strange."

"Well, you _are_ a stranger who just randomly introduced yourself to me in the middle of nowhere."

"I was being _friendly_. But, if you think I'm strange - "

"No, I appreciate it," she said seriously. She held out her hand again. "Honestly, I do. I need to keep training, but – it was nice to meet you. _Now_ I'm snubbing our conversation."

Instead of shaking her hand again, Wallace bent and kissed it, missing her light, sudden blush. "I am heartbroken," he said as he stood up again. "But I'm sure I will see you again. I think we're traveling the same way."

Winona frowned at him. Looking each other straight in the eyes, they both raised their arms slowly and pointed in the same direction, down the same path. Wallace grinned, and after a moment, Winona did too.

* * *

"I never thought I'd really end up traveling with someone," Winona muttered, covered in mud. "You know, I dreamed of meeting some nice, brilliant, talented, attractive, _sensible_ guy on the road who would whisk me away and we'd live happily ever after in some quiet, secluded place where everything would be absolutely perfect. I did _not_ imagine traveling with an idiot who drags us _on and on_ even when it's raining so much that the path has turned into a river!"

Wallace grinned as she dashed under the thick canopy of some nearby trees. He followed her at a leisurely pace, squatting beside her over the wet ground. "How many of those criteria do I fit? And you don't like the rain?"

"You do?" she shot back. "And you fit two. I'm not telling you which ones. I wouldn't have thought you would want to get your fancy hair and clothes all wet. Look at you, all drenched and dirty."

"Mud is an inherent hazard associated with water. Just like you train Flying Pokémon, I train Water Pokémon – they are my specialty. The most beautiful Pokémon of all."

"Oh, come off it. Flying types are far more beautiful. Stronger, too."

Wallace titled his head, catching a brief sight of her teasing smile. "Is that a challenge, dear Winona?"

"Maybe it is, Wallace. It's simple enough to determine who is right."

A sudden gust of wind roared up and attacked their hiding spot, knocking Winona backwards into the mud. She growled angrily, making Wallace laugh as he helped her back up to a sitting position. Her backside was completely coated in an impenetrable layer of sticky mud. The tricky wind had brought more rain with it, too, soaking them both to the bone. Winona was right - Wallace's clothes were completely filthy - but he didn't really care. He leaned back against the tree trunk, watching Winona seething with anger at the whole situation.

"Mud, wind, rain, thunder, lighting, cold," she muttered irritably under her breath, but Wallace still caught her words. "This is ridiculous. Come on." She stood up very suddenly, bumped her head on a branch, which she tugged furiously off of the tree before walking straight out into thick of the storm, despite her shivering. She glanced disparagingly back over her shoulder when Wallace didn't follow her. "Come _on_, Wallace. We'll either get lost and die of pneumonia out here, or we'll find our way to a Pokémon Center where it's _warm_. Then we can make good on that challenge. I've never seen you battle."

Wallace scrambled to his feet and braced himself for the wind. "Sounds fine to me," he said, raising his voice so she could hear over the vicious gale. She started off and Wallace followed, both of them practically splashing with every step they took. Twice Winona slipped and almost fell again, but Wallace stayed behind her so he could catch her both times.

"How come you never slip?" Winona muttered as Wallace set her upright again.

"Practice. My old friend Steven and I used to run away from home every time it rained, because that was the only time that his parents wouldn't come after us. Rain was no harm, we always thought. But they seemed to hold a strange aversion to getting wet."

After what felt like miles, they reached a narrow pass between two towering, rocky landmasses that looked almost like miniature mountains. The rain was still pouring down hard, and Wallace paused for a second, unnerved. Winona turned to look at him, confused. "Come on. We must be almost there."

"Right," he said, starting off again. But something still caused an uneasy stirring in the back of his mind. He started to walk a little closer to her, and if she noticed, she made no comment.

Lightning shot across the dark sky, immediately followed by an echoing clap of thunder that seemed to make the very ground beneath their feet split at the seams, rumbling and shaking. In a split second, Wallace knew that something was wrong. The rocks around them were _moving_. They were trembling and scraping, and without any further warning, hundreds of solid stone boulders leapt away from the surrounding mountains and crashed downwards, followed by more shaking and more stones tumbling down from the cliffs. The entire rock face was falling, both in front of them and above them.

Winona shouted something, but Wallace couldn't hear over the sound of falling rock. Immediately he stepped in front of her, reached to his belt, and released his Luvdisc and Sealeo from their Pokeballs. "Elizabeth, Light Screen!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "And quick - Ice Beam!"

His Pokémon followed his guidance at once. A glittering wall of power shot from Luvdisc's scales and surrounded Wallace and Winona, the avalanche of rocks and mud bouncing off as if the barrier were made of steel. Through Wallace's heart shot the thrill of battle, the cool ease that he had come to know so well clearing his mind of all fear and second-guessing. At his command, his Sealeo shot an ice beam straight forward, freezing every drop of rain along the way so that they became hailstones, slamming fiercely onto the barrier. But that one shot was so well-aimed that it also froze the entire passage and all the cliffs around them, immediately halting the falling stones and securing the collapsing mountains. The only thing Wallace could hear now was the gentle pitter of icy rain against Luvdisc's still steady barrier. Wallace relaxed, breathing deeply.

_Winona._

He whipped around, his heart suddenly pounding, to make sure she was still safe – if she had been harmed -

She was staring at him, her eyes wide and glittering with some emotion that he had never seen before. It was almost like fear, but somehow softer – a kind of apprehensive admiration, nothing like her usual bright pride and determination. Wallace couldn't bear to meet her eyes for long, not when she was watching him like that. Staring vaguely at the ground, he returned his two Pokémon to their balls with quiet thanks. When he looked back up, Winona was still watching him. But she had relaxed a little.

"I had no idea you were that good," she breathed. "That _powerful_."

"I – I have a good teacher," Wallace assured her. "His name is Juan. He's the gym leader of Sootopolis City. I have studied under him my entire life, and I have learned much."

She looked at him long and hard for another minute – a minute that felt like an hour to Wallace, then turned her head and looked at the solid wall of frozen rock in front of them. "Well. It looks like we'll have to find a different way to the Pokémon Center, then," Winona said practically.

But her eyes slid away from Wallace's when he tried to catch her gaze again. And she subtly shifted her arm when Wallace tried to place a hand on her shoulder, to stop her, to explain. Her pace was quick. Sighing, Wallace followed, his heart sinking with disappointment.

Was this bound to happen with every friend he ever made, every person he ever met?

Eventually, they did find a city with a place to rest, and they both huddled in front of a fire with warm cups of tea in their hands and thick blankets over their shoulders. Winona stared into the fire, the flames dancing in her soft lavender eyes. "Wallace?" she said suddenly. "I withdraw my challenge."

The disappointment settled further into Wallace's heart, now accompanied by regret. He knew it was hard for people to see such an impressive display of power – but he'd had no choice. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Winona looked up at him at last, and even though Wallace could tell some part of her was still rather oddly sad, she smiled, bumping her head against his shoulder. "I'll still travel with you, though. You've now got three out of my five criteria."

"Will you tell me which ones now?"

She stood, shook the blanket off her shoulders, set her tea down on the coffee table, and winked at him. "You lack the brilliance and sensibility."

She walked off, still coated in mud, leaving Wallace alone in the Pokémon Center lobby. But he smiled, his heart lifting a little, a few of his worries disappearing.

* * *

After months on the road, they reached the point where they both knew they had to part. Winona knew that Wallace needed to return to Sootopolis because his teacher, Juan, was ready to recommence Wallace's training. But Winona wanted to explore, see every inch of Hoenn's territory, meet every type of Pokémon, and hone her skills all on her own. Part of her burned with jealousy that she didn't have Wallace's battling ability, the expertise that he seemed to claim so effortlessly - but that envy disappeared quickly, overridden by a strong aversion to their imminent parting.

Despite herself, she realized she'd grown to like this man. _Perhaps a little too much, _noted a sly, bitter voice in the back of her mind. Winona sighed, closing her eyes tight and shaking her head to rid herself of such troublesome thoughts.

They had both avoided the subject of parting ways until the very last minute – until they reached the crossroads that would turn them on different directions. Winona stopped and glanced over at Wallace, who was already facing her, smiling.

"I never thought you'd look so sad. I thought you'd be glad to be rid of me."

"Come off it," she said, returning his grin. "Let's just say I've gotten used to you." She held out her hand, but again, Wallace did not grasp it with his own. Instead, he lifted it with a regal flourish and kissed her fingertips, watching her as he did so this time. With effort, Winona forced herself not to blush.

"I hope we meet again, Winona," Wallace said as he straightened. They were standing very close now, so close that she could feel warmth emanating from his body, so close that she could see the sincerity in his clear eyes. "No, I know we'll meet again. I'm glad you allowed me to travel with you. Perhaps someday, I will make my way to Fortree City. Only if you are there, of course."

Winona shook her head in exasperation, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling and looking up at him. A sudden breeze whirled around them, lifting her long hair and tangling it so much that it seemed deliberate.

"It was nice traveling with you, Wallace." This time, instead of extending her hand, Winona opened her arms - somewhat hesitantly - and let him hug her. Then she gasped as Wallace suddenly lifted her off the ground and twirled her in a circle, his arms strong and unyielding. Laughing, she grabbed his shoulders to keep herself steady in the air, then allowed him to lower her back down to ground, where they both stood cool and close in the summer air. Slowly, Winona dropped her hands from his shoulders, unable to understand the sudden, warm look in his turquoise eyes.

He stepped away first and waved, smiling tentatively. "I'm glad I met you, Winona," he said, already on his way.

Seized by sudden inspiration – and by some other emotion, that she refused to name or acknowledge – Winona ran to him, stood on her toes, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'm glad I met you too, Wallace!" she called as she hurried back to her own path.

But the little summer breeze had abruptly picked up into much trickier wind, and she wasn't sure if Wallace had heard. He still stood where she had left him, one hand touching his cheek where she had kissed him.

Winona walked a little ways down the road, feeling warmth on her skin and flushed cheeks, but lonely coldness in her heart. When she looked back, Wallace was almost out of sight, nothing more than a nearly imperceptible dot on the horizon.


	2. II

"That girl you're always talking about. The one you met on the road. When are you going to see her again?"

Steven relaxed on the couch while Wallace attempted to ignore his friend's furtive grins and innuendos. Steven usually gave himself very little rest from his personal training unless he had a specific, important task in mind – and clearly, popping in to Sootopolis City to annoy an old friend was a worthy waste of Steven's time. Wallace continued brushing his Sealeo's slick fur, with all appearances of supreme disinterest in Steven's comments.

"I see her few months or so, just to exchange stories. She's training to be a gym leader of her hometown."

"Gym leader, huh? You need to chase her down, Wallace, or she'll fall for some brilliant, sensible man while she's not with you."

Wallace paused in his brushing. A small smile crept onto his face without his permission, and he shook his head a little, sighing. "You are probably right."

Steven merely stood up, smirked, and winked as he headed towards the door, holding his arms wide in a characteristic, sly shrug. "Work towards your dreams, old friend. Whatever they might be."

Steven left, leaving Wallace in the room alone. Juan would be expecting Wallace back at the gym for more training any moment, he knew. But Wallace stayed where he was for a moment.

Perhaps he should go visit Winona again. Did she think about him as often as he thought about her? _I swore we would meet again,_ he recalled as he turned his gaze to the ceiling.

But he had another promise to keep, too. Wallace sighed as he headed to the gym to meet Juan. He wondered what choice he would make if he was ever forced to truly pick between one or the other.

* * *

Wallace closed his eyes, his body and mind exhausted, though he could not imagine how tired his Pokémon must feel. Everything was frozen around him as the new realization flooded into his mind with the force of a tsunami. _He had won._ He had won the tournament. He was to be the new Champion, the leader of the league, the most powerful trainer in Hoenn, until someone else was able to defeat him in battle.

His mind reeled with the revelation. All his work, the harsh, punishing hours of fighting and training and studying, the sleepless nights, all that he had to give up. It was all worth it, all for this. His hands trembled at the thought.

And yet, something about it filled him with trepidation. In the Hall of Fame, he saw the Champion's cloak, he saw the director sitting in front of him, but nothing seemed to register in his mind. Instead, another thought, quite unrelated, kept echoing around in his head, as rhythmically repetitive as a broken record.

Winona had just been appointed as the leader of Fortree Gym. She was undeniably quite talented, so it did not come to a surprise to him, of course, despite her young age. Wallace knew that as a Champion, he would get very little time to see anyone other than his challengers. Never friends.

In front of him, the director was rambling on and on, mentioning something about Steven joining the Elite Four and the duties of a Champion, while Wallace remained lost in his thoughts, barely listening.

"Director, a moment, please," Wallace said quickly. He had to speak, _now_, before his pride closed his mouth against his will. "I graciously reject this offer."

He ignored the director's sudden splutter, thinking fast, determined to have a reason.

"It's my master, Juan. It's always been my desire to succeed him as the gym leader and protector of Sootopolis. It would be impossible for me to maintain the duties of both gym leader and Champion."

The director stared at him blankly, then seemed to snap back into life with a surprised little squeak. "Well – I suppose Steven shall be the Champion, then. If you're sure – please tell him to come in. Only if you're really very sure, Wallace - "

Wallace flew out of the room before the director finished his sentence. Outside the Hall of Fame, Steven was still there, and looked at Wallace very oddly when he emerged without the cloak.

"What - ?"

"I have renounced the Championship," Wallace said. "It will be yours instead, Steven. Go ahead."

His longtime friend and rival stared at him, mouth agape. "Wallace, you won the tournament fair and square. The Championship belongs to you, not the runner-up. Don't you go feeling guilty on my account."

"It's not that," Wallace assured him. "There's something else I want to do. I think I would like to take over Sootopolis Gym. Juan has been telling me that he was thinking to retire soon. I can be his replacement – it would be very nice, to be a Gym Leader. More freedom than the Champion."

The small tournament room was very quiet now. Steven walked over to Wallace, placing a hand on his shoulder, his gaze clear and searching. "Wallace – are you sure about this?"

"Very sure."

Beneath the surprise, Wallace saw Steven's gray eyes glitter with clever understanding as they scanned his own. For a moment, Steven didn't say a thing, then he abruptly turned towards the Hall of Fame. He glanced back over his shoulder at Wallace.

"Thank you," he said seriously. Then he took a deep breath, smiled, and winked. "And good luck."

* * *

Spinning around, Winona jumped, landing flawlessly on Altaria's back. With just a tap from her toes, Altaria dived and slashed into the ground with her sharpened, shining claws. Next they rose again, and Winona tapped Altaria's sides with her feet, an almost unnoticeable touch. Altaria let out a blast of dragonbreath, leaving a thick trail of ash across the dusty training-room floor. With a final dive, Winona leapt off her Pokémon's back and skidded to a halt on the ground, steady on her feet at last. She relaxed, calling Altaria back from the air with a whistle.

"Good work," she said, patting Altaria's head with a smile. "You fought hard today. I'm proud of you."

Altaria made a soft humming sound and closed her eyes happily, nudging Winona's hand with her beak. Winona laughed and reached into her pocket to produce a snack. Altaria snatched it up happily. Shaking her head, Winona returned the dragon to its Pokeball, promising the fighter a good, long rest.

"That was very beautiful, Winona."

She whipped around. A man was standing in the doorway to her training area, someone she recognized almost at once. He was tall and attractive, a man who she knew from months of travel and who had charmed his way into being someone that she called a friend. It would be impossible not to recognize a person with such distinctive teal-colored hair, extravagant clothes, and – most distinctively – an incredible air of elegance and grace that she had always longed to possess.

"Wallace," she said, walking over to him, very conscious of the dust and scratches all over her from her hard day's training. "It's been a while. What brings you here? And where've you been lately?"

"Sootopolis is a miserable place during the summer," Wallace sighed. "Dreadfully hot. It's as if the sun stays directly above the city all day long and gets trapped there. I was hoping Fortree would be a little bit cooler."

"Sootopolis?" asked Winona, pulling off her helmet and shaking out her hair. "What are you doing there again? I thought I'd heard that you won. At the Pokémon league, I mean."

"I did win. But I realized – rather quickly – that the life of the Champion was not for me. I have become the leader of the Sootopolis Gym, in place of my former master, Juan. Congratulations on your recent appointment of gym leader here, as well." Before she could move away, he took her hand and pressed his lips to it, grinning. "Besides, as a gym leader, perhaps I will have the opportunity to win a lovely lady's heart."

"You never change, do you?" she said, shaking her head bemusedly. He had won the league – he was the _Champion _– and had turned it down to be a _gym leader_? Did he really do all that just because he wanted to spend time with her? "Thank you, then - and congratulations to you, too, I think. I won't look further into your insane motives. And - it's good to see you again, Wallace. If you like, I can show you around the city - it's not big, after all, but it is gorgeous. Just let me get cleaned up first."

Wallace was smiling widely now, his eyes sparkling. He stepped forward and brushed the dirt off of her shoulders and arms, and with just the slightest second of hesitation, ran his fingers across a dusty mark on her face, too. A small shiver tingled over Winona's skin. "There," Wallace said, one hand still touching her cheek. "All cleaned up."

"You are shameless, Wallace," said Winona briskly, brushing his hand away, still charmed despite herself. "Come on, then. You'll get lost if I let you wander around on your own."

Wallace opened the door and gestured for her to proceed, bending into a very stately and over-exaggerated bow. Winona merely shook her head again, but led the way all the same. She ignored the sudden, odd feeling in her heart that Wallace somehow seemed to awaken every time she spoke with him.

It was too hard to believe that someone with so much skill wanted to be with _her_, rather than take his rightful place as the Champion. How could she possibly live up to that?

_I will worry about that later,_ Winona decided firmly.

For now, she was willing to just enjoy the company of a friend. Taking Wallace's hand, she sped up as she headed down the hallway, inordinately happy when he squeezed her fingers a little in return.

* * *

Fortree City was far more beautiful than the crater that was Wallace's hometown. Sure, Sootopolis was quite unique, a grand tourist site for Hoenn's visitors. But from his point of view, Fortree deserved far more fame than it received.

Every home blended with the trees, above them or hidden amongst the trunks, and every path was tight and narrow. Everything was constructed out of nature's materials. There was no manmade, synthetic material in sight, not even the windows – they contained no glass, just open passageways for air with woven-leaf shutters. Winona led him straight through the depths of the woods, her feet patting softly against the leaf-strewn forest floor, and then high above the canopy on wobbly rope bridges, which she glided along with ease but then always had to wait for Wallace to wobble his nervous way across. One of the bridges was so long that it had been tied to five trees as supports along the way. Winona stopped at one of these trees, waiting for Wallace to stumble over to her. Coolly, she leaned against the tree, stretched her leg across the bridge to the other rope, then shook it with her foot, making the entire bridge rock and vibrate.

"Oh, you did not just do that," gasped Wallace, grasping on to the ropes for dear life. Winona laughed. Her laugh – a very rare sound, he had come to realize – sounded simultaneously like the soft pitter of rain against a roof and like glass windchimes, precise and bright.

Winona leapt off the bridge and grabbed a branch above her head, swinging herself on top of it with apparent ease. Finally, Wallace reached her, looking up and squinting through the leaves. "Have you done this before?"

"Hundreds of times."

"Then I suppose I don't exactly have the authority to tell you to be careful."

"Nope." She knelt on the branch, stretching a hand out to him. "Come on."

Wallace stared at her. Her eyes were sparkling. "You're not serious," he said.

"Serious as a Psyduck. I told you, I've done this before. Come on."

He paused a moment more, but her steady gaze soon won him over. _I must be crazy,_ he thought as he grabbed her rough, calloused hand and let her help him up onto the branch. _I really, really must be crazy. If we were to fall…_

Somehow Winona knew what he was about to do; she smirked and placed a hand under his chin so he didn't look down.

Winona didn't let go of his hand until Wallace assured her that he was completely secure, leaning against the tree trunk with leaves tickling his face. Wordlessly, she looked at him one more time, then leapt up onto the next branch, climbing higher and higher into the tree. She turned around once, twitching her fingers at Wallace and jerking her head, grinning.

He reached up to the branch above and began to follow. Winona raced up the tree like she had been born in it, but Wallace had to strain at every step, his arms and legs aching before long. But eventually, Winona stopped, and Wallace was able to reach her, his head level with her knees. His breath arriving in short gasps now, he decided to stop for a second, staring up her helplessly. "That was _exhausting_. How did you do that so fast? If I was amazed at your training work, that is _nothing_ compared to what I think of you now."

Winona didn't reply. Instead, she bent down, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him up so that they were standing on the same branch, pressed close to each other due to Wallace's inability to find immediate footing. A breathless second passed, where he somehow found his hand on her waist, hers on his chest, and their faces so close that he could feel her breath hitch. Wallace's heart skipped a beat as he studied her impenetrable gaze.

Then she slipped away, leaned against the tree trunk, and pointed to the horizon.

They were looking out at what felt like whole of Hoenn, standing at the top of the tallest tree in the forest. Below them stretched endless grasslands; dark, impossibly thick woods; snaking rivers; distant mountains that towered into the clouds; and even the ocean, gleaming in the overcast light. He glanced from the view to Winona, who was watching him carefully.

"Pretty, isn't it?" she said, turning to gaze across the horizon. The evening's glow was around her, too; sparkling in her pale skin and threading like strands of pure silver through her hair, waving in the breeze. "I used to come up here a lot when I was a kid. I haven't been in a while, though – usually I just fly with my Pokémon. It's nice up here, though."

"Nice?" Wallace said, looking at her incredulously, full of awe and wonder. "It's gorgeous, Winona. That dreadful climb was undoubtedly worth it."

"It's not dreadful. It's easy."

"Ha! For you, perhaps. But, then again - I suppose risks do often have their rewards, do they not?"

She didn't reply. When Wallace glanced over at her, her gaze was focused upon the sky, the beauty of the clouds as they whirled slowly, matching the spin of the earth, permitting the sun to shine only every now and then. The wind cascaded through her long, smooth hair, and she closed her eyes and smiled.

He felt as if he had been captured, bound by some impenetrable chain that would not allow him to be more than a few yards away from her. Yet the chain was not harsh; it did not chafe against his skin or restrain him against his will. No, this chain he gripped tightly in his hand, desperate to maintain the connection. Her smile sparked his smile, her laugh tugged at his heart.

But when she started climbing smoothly down the tree, calling to him as she went, the chain was broken. Wallace blinked, a little shocked, but shook himself out of it and followed her. Inadvertently, he found himself wishing fervently that he wouldn't have to return to Sootopolis quite so soon. The very idea made him sigh, but he pressed onwards, refusing to let such depressing thoughts hold him back quite yet.


	3. III

They were lying on the grass together in the center of Sootopolis city, their bare toes barely touching the water that surrounded Wallace's gym. Wallace's Pokémon were in the water while Winona's were in the sky, all of them enjoying the freedom and the stars. It was that short time in the year when gym leaders were allowed time off, and, at Wallace's invitation, Winona was traveling, beginning her journey with a visit to Sootopolis. Wallace swore that the city was prettier at night. Winona rolled over onto her side to look at him, an idea forming in her mind.

"You watched my battle training once. You owe me a show – let me see your contest appeals. You told me you did both." She knew how good he was in battle – perhaps the level of his contest skills was different?

Wallace turned onto his side too, propping himself up on one elbow. The stars and the moon provided the only light; all the houses and buildings were as dark as the dankest cave. Wallace's eyes, however, sparkled more than anything in the sky above. "Now? Are you sure?"

"Why not?"

Wallace looked at her carefully for a moment, but all the same, he rose to his feet and called to his Luvdisc, Elizabeth. The Pokémon somehow heard his soft words from what might have been a hundred feet under the water. Wallace reached out and touched Elizabeth's shimmering scales, closing his eyes briefly before stepping back again. He shot one glance back at Winona, who sat up straight and ready for the show, before he began.

"Reflect," he said softly.

A shining wall of light appeared at once, mirroring each of the stars in perfect detail and casting their glow all across the ground and the surface of the water. Elizabeth listened to Wallace and followed his instructions faultlessly, and Wallace was engaged, focused, unreachable. He moved _with_ his Pokémon, as if they were one, sharing in the display of their contest prowess. Water droplets suddenly sprinkled around the performing pair, like tiny light stars, and then they began to spin, rising in a narrow whirlpool higher than the roof of the gym behind them.

Winona gazed, awestruck, as the twister spun higher and higher over Elizabeth's tiny body, the small Pokémon somehow creating as much water as a rising tide. And then, with one elegant movement of Wallace's hand, every droplet came crashing back down into the lake. The waterfall hit the lake's flawlessly smooth surface with a sound like a bell and immediately rippled into tall, perfectly circular waves all around Elizabeth, waves that made the Pokémon's scales shine more brilliantly than ever before, like a lighthouse's beacon through the walls of water. At last, Wallace murmured a final command, and the falling waves froze solid. The icy filigree coated the entire surface of the lake, the lacework as intricate as diamonds, the sharp points of the curved, collapsing waves as fine as a razor's edge. Wallace stood still for a moment – a mere shadow against the glimmer of his and Elizabeth's impeccable creation - then he turned to Winona, who had risen to her feet in wonder. Elizabeth flipped in the air, then dived back into the sea between the woven threads of ice.

"Did you like it?" Wallace asked, his eyes glimmering anxiously.

"Like it?" replied Winona breathlessly. "Wallace, it was gorgeous. I don't know how you do it. To have so much skill with battles _and_ with contests... It's _incredible_."

"It's what I love," he said softly. All of a sudden, he was close to her; he brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes with a tender, hesitant hand. "But do you know what I love even more? You, my dear Winona."

"You're a flirt, Wallace," said Winona out of habit, even when her heart and her mind had frozen in place. No, no, she needed them right now – she had to do _something_, anything; she could not stand there like an idiot –

Why was it so hard for her to make a decision – to return his affections, or to remain on her own? There was something in her heart – some sadness that she couldn't satisfactorily explain away. Was it jealously, perhaps? An ever-present longing to somehow be his equal, when his skill far surpassed her own, no matter how hard she tried? Now, her heart pounded wildly in her chest, jerked back into life by the rapidfire return of thoughts.

She wanted to look at the sky – for it always helped clear her mind – but for some reason, she couldn't tear her gaze away from Wallace's face. Nothing but his hand on her cheek connected them, and nothing but thin air separated them.

_Risks do often have their rewards, do they not?_

It was only then that she realized what Wallace had meant by those words.

In that moment, only emotion mattered, emotion and feeling and passion and love. Winona pressed her hands to his face, searching, and then his lips were on hers, careful and slow at first. His arms slid around her waist, drawing her close.

She kissed him back, standing up on her tiptoes and moving her hands from his face to his shoulders, his collar, his chest. He tasted a little like a faint, fresh fruit, and oddly, salt; he moved gently with her, but Winona could feel the longing in his touch, and she encouraged it, curving herself close to him and twisting her hands in his hair. He, too, held her tighter, kissing her more fiercely, now, the passion burning so hotly in the little air between them that Winona was surprised there was no burst of flame.

They didn't break apart until both of them were gasping for breath, desperate for cool air to rush in and fill empty lungs. Before Wallace could say anything, Winona leaned into him and closed her eyes, feeling his hands wrap comfortably – securely – around her body.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For the show, I mean. It really was quite beautiful."

A hand touched under her chin and tilted her face away from the ground. Wallace kissed her again, softly this time, pulling away after the most fleeting of seconds. He touched his fingers, ghostlike in their lightness, to her suddenly flushed cheeks.

"I'm glad you liked it," Wallace said.

She could not resist him any longer. Smiling a little, Winona tugged on his shirt, bringing his lips back down to hers, their breath hot and mixed.

All around them, the distant stars sparkled on, shimmering like lingering kisses in both the sky and the crystal-clear, glassy diamonds on the lake's surface.

* * *

The room was dark and chilly, but his arms were warm and gentle around her, his body smooth and strong beneath her, an even better pillow than Wallace's obviously pricey mattress. Yet they had no thick woolen blankets, no crackling fire. No warmth other than thin sheets and each other. Winona curled herself even closer to him, her head resting directly above his steadily pounding heart. With deft fingers, Wallace traced a line along her side, from her hips to her collar, then back again, his hand floating across her thin dress and sending tiny tingles throughout her body. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" Wallace asked at once, whispering in her ear. "I'm sure I could track down some warmer blankets, if I really tried. I haven't spent many winters here."

"I'm not cold."

"You shivered."

"Yes, but I'm not cold," she repeated. Instinctively, she curled her fingers into fists around the collar of Wallace's shirt, and she knew he noticed. His hand moved from the small of her back to her clenched hands, caressing them, relaxing them, until her fingers loosened around the cloth.

And then, from somewhere deep inside her core, someplace she had never dared to explore, a spark leapt into her heart and soared vibrantly through her body, bringing with it a new, desperate longing. Suddenly, she knew that she needed _more_, more than simple warmth, more than tender touch.

And with that realization came fear. Fear so paralyzing that her hands trembled with the sheer force of it. As her hand fell from his lips to the buttons of his shirt, Wallace caught her fingers in his. A strange kind of barely controlled, barely suppressed storm roared in his sea-colored eyes, such depth and darkness that Winona had never seen before.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, his eyes never leaving hers. Her whole mind, her whole body, her whole _soul_ began to ache for him; so much so that she couldn't imagine a worse torture than waiting any longer.

But a small corner of her traitorous heart held her back. It was the one corner from her childhood, tiny and shadowed, that she refused to revisit; her inner self, young, alone, and lost, was afraid of the dark. Her hand froze for a brief second on Wallace's chest.

Distantly, Winona could tell that Wallace noticed her hesitation, for he too stopped moving. Very slowly, he touched her cheek and looked straight at her, his eyes soft and concerned, searching.

"I've never done this before," Winona whispered. "Not because I am shy or modest. It's always been because of something else." Hurriedly, before her fears got the better of her, Winona pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the floor. Her heart beat as wildly as her whirling thoughts, both so loud that she thought it impossible that Wallace couldn't hear them in the impenetrable silence.

His hand was so warm against her cheek. But all the same, wordlessly Winona turned over so she was resting on her stomach, and Wallace could see her back. The fear now enclosed her so entirely that she closed her eyes and pressed her face into the pillow, barely able to breathe.

Clear and sharp, crisscrossing over her shoulders and below her neck, were six narrow, long-healed scars. They were as pale as her skin, but smooth, and Wallace's fingers traced over each one silently. Winona titled her head a little so she could see his face. His mouth was open slightly, and his eyes were wide and full of dismay. "What happened?" he breathed.

She couldn't believe the concern in his gaze, his voice, and his touch. Tears threatened behind her eyes, but she forced them away with an enormous effort.

"It was my father," she murmured. "He was never the calm or kind type. He and my mother were not married, but they lived in the same town, even after I was born. I never wanted to know how that came about. I was afraid of the truth. I don't even know if either of them truly loved me."

Every word was spoken matter-of-factly, as they were; with a flat voice, she stared determinedly at the side of the pillow. Wallace remained beside her, his hands never relinquishing their comforting place on her body. Every now and then, she flicked her eyes back to his face, each glance filling her with the courage to go on.

"I lived with my mother and knew who my father was. But my mother was always so scared. Scared of the world, of other people, of Pokémon, of anything. She wanted to keep me in the house all the time, away from danger, she said."

"I can't imagine anyone locking up someone like you for very long."

Winona smiled sadly. "I escaped as much as I could. I ran into the fields and forests outside my town and hid there. Mostly, I would play with the Pokémon I met, but I could never actually catch one. My mother wouldn't let them in the house. But that wasn't nearly as bad as what my father thought of them. He caught me leaving town once, when I was nine, and he followed me. I was beside an Altaria's nest, helping her care for her young ones. Baby Swablu, no bigger than a pair of hands."

"Your Altaria," breathed Wallace.

"My Altaria's mother," corrected Winona. "Rather than stopping me before I left town, my father seemed determined to catch me in the ultimate wrongdoing, to prove to my mother that I was a pest after all, I guess. He grabbed me and threw me down. He was laughing at me, triumphant, but I still tried to argue back. That's when he lost control. He always carried a narrow cane with him. He hit me for each time that I was impertinent and disrespectful to my elders."

The next time she looked at him, his eyes were shut tight, his hand clenched in a fist on top of her skin. He was almost trembling, it seemed like; the sight was more surprising to her than any of her barely acknowledged memories.

Wallace took a few slow, deep breaths, then opened his gentle eyes again, his hand brushing over each scar. All six of them, three on each shoulder. "What happened to the Pokémon? Where did you go?"

"The Altaria gathered up her little ones and fled, but she couldn't carry them all. She had to leave the smallest one, the one who was already sick. That's why I had been helping her. My father dragged me, bleeding, back into town, and flung me in front of my mother and told her everything. When he was done, she agreed with him. I was no good." Now there was bitterness in her voice, a fierce tone that she could hear herself. "She was too frightened of him to disagree, anyway. But it didn't matter. I was done, I was through with it all. Before they could stop me, or punish me any more, I ran, without anything or anyone with me. I didn't even have my shoes. I ran back to the nest, picked up the baby Swablu, and didn't stop running until it was so dark that I couldn't see and I was so tired that I couldn't move."

"Breathe, Winona," whispered Wallace. Winona stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and taking his advice. The memories were almost overwhelming in their vibrance now.

"They didn't chase me. They didn't even look for me. I haven't seen them since then. I was on my own before I was even ten years old. It was just me and that little Swablu," Winona said, keeping her eyes shut. "Eventually, I saw a lone house on the trail. The old lady there saw me from her window. I would have passed by and not caused her trouble, but she was determined to help me. She treated the cuts on my back, let me rest in her home, and even had medicine for my Swablu. She gave me my first Pokeball, too."

"But then - you were on your own at the age of nine. When we first met, why did you say what you did, about starting your journey a little late? You were forced to start earlier than anyone."

"Because it's true," replied Winona, opening her eyes. "The old woman couldn't take care of me forever, but she wasn't about to let me go on my own. Fortree City wasn't too far. She took me there, and left me in the care of the Fortree Gym. I liked it so much there. Everyone was kind to me - I could play and train with Pokémon whenever I wanted, and I was safe. So I didn't leave until I was nineteen."

"No wonder you became Fortree's gym leader," Wallace mused. He studied her carefully, his eyes full of so much kindness. "I'm sorry, Winona. I'm so sorry. And I made you relive all of that, just for me."

"I needed to. I never thought I would tell anyone, much less a man." Now she took a deep breath, braced herself, and pushed herself up on her elbows a little so that their faces were closer together. "What about you? Your family?"

"I never knew my parents," he said quietly, almost with a little shrug. Seemingly of its own accord, his hand reached out and brushed against her cheek. "My first memory is of Juan. He raised me. I asked, but he never told me anything. After a while, I grew weary of asking."

"I'm sorry."

"Perhaps it is better that way," Wallace said, his eyes dark. "It would have been for you."

"Perhaps," Winona murmured. She moved her hand back to his shirt, running her fingers over the soft fabric and then back to the buttons. Wallace grabbed her fingers, then tangled his free hand through her hair, pulled her close, kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her lips.

"I love you, Winona," he said, sounding breathless with fierce desperation, as if he would give anything to make her believe him. "Even if your parents never did."

"I love you too," she whispered, smiling. Was that the first time she had spoken those words to anyone besides her Pokémon? It was so simple, she realized. So easy.

She fiddled with his buttons again, and this time he helped her, dropping his shirt to the floor. But his eyes were still uncertain, despite the layer of desire that clouded them.

"Winona - "

"Don't ask," she said at once. "I've decided. I want you, Wallace. Everything."

Wallace slid a hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her forcefully. Every emotion that they had just felt poured into the kiss - the anguish, fear, desperation, desire, love.

Winona wrapped her arms over his shoulders; his hands slid over her collarbone, her stomach, and her undergarments, and Winona wriggled out of them, touching his belt at the same time. Their legs tangled beneath the thin sheets.

At last, gasping, they broke apart and met each other's eyes. Immediately Winona recognized the inseparable mixture of love and desire in his dark gaze, a mere thread of control weaving through it all. The tiny sliver of reason that remained in her own mind vanished, leaving her with only a storm of emotions to control her.

Every place his hands and lips touched seemed to light on fire and whirl as if caught in a hurricane. She arched when Wallace trailed his fingers across her legs and her stomach, and she leaned her head back when he kissed her neck and her collar. It wasn't long before she was lost, her past and her scars unimportant.

All she knew was him.


	4. IV

**A/N:** A much longer chapter, but there was no other way to do it. Starting to run into manga plotlines at last!

* * *

"You are crazy, Winona," yelled Wallace, squinting up at her with a hand over his eyes. "Insane. You'll kill yourself."

"I will not," she shouted back stubbornly. It was hard to hear her at such a distance. "I've done this a million times!"

"Really? You promise?"

"I swear!"

Winona was standing on the back of her Altaria, which was circling high in the air above a little swimming hole outside of Fortree City. Wallace stood knee-deep in the cool water, surrounded by short, rocky cliffs. Long grasses and trees littered the ground around them, and across the swimming hole was what looked like a cave of some sort, the rock pale after years baking in the sun. But Wallace focused solely on her at the moment. From where he stood, the swimming hole did not appear to be very deep, even at the center. And she was planning to _jump_?

"Ready? Are you watching?" she asked. Wallace could see her tiny arms pulling an even tinier helmet and pair of goggles over her head.

"Winona, this is a terrible idea."

"It's skydiving!" she shouted happily. And with that, she leapt, streaking through the air head-first like an arrow. Wallace stood, completely frozen, mouth agape, as she crashed into the water with an almighty splash, her Altaria cooing cheerfully and circling down closer to the ground. It seemed like ages before Winona finally surfaced, grinning broadly, her helmet and goggles hanging loosely around her neck. Wallace stumbled deeper into the water, tripping over the muddy lakebed, until he was able to swim over to her, stopping to tread water beside her and touch her face.

"Are you all right?" he said immediately. "You're not hurt? That was _insane_, Winona! Why would anyone _ever_ do something like that?"

"Because it's fun," she retorted, kissing him and nearly missing due to the fact that they were both bobbing up and down in the water. She laughed, grabbing his hand. "It's not really that dangerous, see?" Drawing in a deep breath, she dove back under the water, pulling Wallace down with her. He opened his eyes, and as they swam downwards, he saw that the pool actually _was_ quite deep. Aqueous plants swayed gently around them, sprouting our of what seemed like solid rock, and swaying as if caught in a breeze. Wallace and Winona swam down as far as they could before turning around to shoot back up towards the surface. They gasped in large mouthfuls of air once their heads broke the surface at last.

"I swam further than you did," Wallace teased, grinning at her.

"You're bigger than me. And you train water Pokémon. You're used to it."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself."

Winona punched him playfully in the shoulder and floated back toward the shore on her back. Wallace followed her, and when they tumbled into the shallows together, he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her, feeling her smile against his lips. She kissed him back firmly, but didn't hesitate to push his arms away and step out of his reach, a sly smile on her face. "It's your turn," she said, rather slyly.

"What?"

"Come on!" Whistling, she called her Altaria down and climbed onto her comfortable place between the Pokémon's wings. Then she extended her hand to Wallace.

Though shaking his head in disbelief, Wallace grabbed her hand and let her help him on to the Altaria's back. "You cannot possibly be serious," he muttered as they took to the sky. Winona didn't reply, only laughed, the sound carried clearly back to his ears by the cool wind whistling past their faces.

It felt like they were miles above the water when Winona finally called her Altaria to a stop. The Pokémon floated smoothly in place, air drafts catching beneath fluffy its wings and holding it still. Wallace stared down at the sparkling surface of the water. It looked like solid glass from this high in the air. Beside him, Winona stood, pulling her helmet and goggles on again. "Ready?" she asked.

"That's not fair," noted Wallace, still sitting. "You have a helmet. I don't."

"They're not necessary. I just like it." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet too. "I'm going to count to three, and then we'll jump. All right? One - "

"Winona – "

Her lavender eyes met his, one eyebrow raised a little. She slipped her hand into his. "Ready?" she said again, more seriously this time.

Wallace sighed. "Ready when you are," he said, unable to resist a little smile. "Still – count to three, though?"

"Okay. One – two – "

Wallace shut his eyes very tightly, grimacing.

"_Three!_"

He felt as if he had left his heart back in the clouds when he fell. It was like _flying_. He didn't remember leaving Altaria's back, but it didn't matter; he was soaring through the open sky, touching nothing but the air and Winona's hand. Gusts of wind slapped his face, as hard and biting as the back of girl's hand. His eyes flew open in just enough time to see the earth shoot towards him, unrelenting, the glassy water mere inches away –

And then they hit the pool, sinking deeper and depper in to the cool, comforting water, surrounded by a castle of minute bubbles. Winona's hand still held his tightly, and Wallace stared through the bubbly wall until their eyes met for a split second.

They kicked towards the surface at the exact same time. Emerging and catching his breath, Wallace saw her smile broadly as she pulled her goggles and helmet off. Her eyes were dancing. "Well? Did you enjoy it?"

"That," breathed Wallace, pointing at the sky and the Altaria still circling up at the distance they'd leapt from. "That was just as I said it was. _Insane_, love."

Winona kissed him on the cheek and did a flip in the water, pulling playfully on his foot when she was under the surface. When she emerged again, she clapped her hands together and grinned. "Then you enjoyed it!"

Watching her smile and dance in the water, Wallace couldn't help but smile too, allowing the now-familiar warmth to spread from his heart to every inch of his body, like irresistible laughter. He followed her lead and dived under the water, the pair of them swimming and flying until they were both too exhausted to do anything more than collapse on the grass beside the pool.

As the sun set, Winona reached over and touched Wallace's hand. She didn't say a word. But there was no need, really. Her eyes spoke for her, reflecting sun's quiet, friendly glow, as radiant as the stars that were just barely beginning to peek into the sky. Wallace smiled back, wishing desperately that every day was one such as this, with no responsibilities, no worries, and no fear of things to come.

* * *

Winona grimaced, every joint and muscle in her body crying out in pain. But she didn't stop. She pushed herself harder, training with her Pokémon, determined to do anything everything she could to get stronger. She leapt to the side and skidded in the dust to avoid a dive from her Swellow, ducked to avoid her Skarmory's razor-sharp wings, ran at top speed to get out of range of Altaria's dragon-fire. After a moment, she held up her hand, signaling to her Pokémon to take a breather.

"Good work, everyone," she panted, rubbing sweat and dirt out of her eyes. "You've all done well. We'll have a rest; I'll treat you."

They all touched her gently with their beaks, clearly concerned. Even when she had been training to pass the test to become a gym leader, she had never pushed them this hard. Misgivings clouded Winona's mind, but she forced them away. No, she had to train harder, she _had_ to – it was the only way she could drive away the envy that rested precariously like a dormant volcano in her heart.

Every day, more stories reached her of Wallace's skill as a leader, his powerful Pokémon, his immeasurable talent as a coordinator. People would smile at her, congratulating her on such a lucky catch.

But every time they mentioned his abilities, she would always see reserve in their eyes, the inadvertent thoughts and words that they held back. _She is not as good as he is._ Nothing was ever said about _her_ abilities. She rarely lost a battle at the Fortree gym – but that didn't matter, because Wallace _never _lost one.

So every day, Winona worked. She trained until her body ached and she and her Pokémon could barely move. Yet still, it was never enough. Wallace battled and won with such _ease_. She, on the other hand, struggled to display the proficiency that she knew she possessed. Sometimes, when they were together, Wallace would try to help her, but she would brush off his aid and work on her own.

No matter how much he cared for her, she would not allow herself to succeed because of someone's else's advice. Winona sighed as she brushed her Pokémon's feathers, allowing her thoughts, for once, to run wild in her mind.

Why couldn't she just accept his love and forget her own foolish, childish jealousy? Everything was made all the more difficult by the fact that she loved him as well – it was so damned _difficult_ to love someone so much, yet feel so trapped by just their presence. He was always by her side whenever they were around the kind of people who judged based on pure skill. So she was always second-best. Always she stood unnoticed while he was praised and honored. How was that fair? How was blatant disregard what she deserved, what she had worked so hard to achieve?

He enjoyed the praise, too – he was ostentatious in the outside world, his battles, and his contests. The best gym leader in all of Hoenn, the best coordinator, the man who should have been Champion. It all added to his pride. Everyone looked at the woman by his side and wondered why she was the one that that the great and glorious Wallace of Sootopolis chose.

Sometimes, she didn't know either. Why did he pick _her_ to love? Perhaps there wasn'ta reason. _Perhaps standing next to me makes him stand out all the more,_ Winona thought bitterly.

Her heart ached whenever she thought such things, because consciously she knew how untrue they all were. Didn't Wallace prove time and time again how much he loved her? Why couldn't she just accept his love and devotion to her? For all that she blamed him for his pride, Winona knew that her own was just as unbearable. More than anything, she wished not for talent, but for something that was far more difficult to attain.

She wished that she didn't care.

* * *

"We, the Pokémon Association, have decided upon a new head for the gym leaders of Hoenn."

They were all gathered for the announcement, all the gym leaders and the whole Association and reporters of all kinds. The room was completely packed. To Wallace, these annual meetings were nothing more than a dull formality. He could practically hear the entire room snoring. This year's gathering was made only slightly more interesting due to the recent retirement of the former head, Petalburg Gym's previous leader. A new leader had to be chosen now, and even though Wallace was well aware that his name had to be quite high on the list of possibilities, he still could not bring himself to pay attention.

He sat next to Winona, absently tracing small circles against the back of her neck while she tried to brush his hand away. After a while, he stopped the circles and let his hand rest over her soft skin instead. Winona shot him a grudging smile.

"Winona."

A sudden hush of surprise swept throughout the whole room. Wallace felt her neck go suddenly tense under his hand.

_Winona?_

In spite of himself, he glanced at her in surprise, but predictably, she wasn't looking at him – she, too, was staring in shock at the president of the Association, who was sitting down calmly as if his announcement had not sparked a clamor of shocked whispers and incredulously agape mouths. The President looked directly at Winona and spoke again. "You will be the supervisor of the region, in charge of ensuring that no gym is left empty for more than two weeks, evaluating the competency of all new and current gym leaders, and bringing the leaders together and overseeing all actions in times of crisis. Your duties extend far more than what I have just listed, but I trust that you know them and will handle them well. Thank you."

He gathered his papers, bowed, and waddled off, the rest of the Pokémon Association following his puffy-haired head. Some of the more hopeful reporters went with them too, shouting out boisterous questions about what motivated such an unexpected decision. Mutters scurried through the reporters who remained in the room, and Wallace caught a few stray phrases here and there.

"Why did they pick her? Wattson has had far more experience!"

"Wallace is a _much_ more powerful trainer."

"She's no standout! What on earth was that guy thinking, choosing her, out of all them?"

"It's never been like this before. It should have been Wallace."

"So young!"

By the dangerously calm look on her face, Wallace could tell that Winona could hear all the whispers just as clearly as he could.

Still without looking at Wallace, she rose and bowed to the many cameras, saying coolly, "I am very grateful to the Association for this honor. I pledge to do my very best to uphold and execute my duties as the supervisor and head of the Hoenn gym leaders."

She then whisked around and seemed to fly away, her steps were so quick and graceful. She slipped at once through the back door that only the gym leaders had entered through. Wallace stared at her as she left, then realized all the other leaders were staring at _him_. Wattson glared and jerked his head, his eyes crackling like thunder. Suddenly understanding what they all meant, Wallace leapt up too and raced after Winona, completely disregarding the hundreds of cameras following his rush through the door.

He caught sight of a long distance away from him in the hall, her steps brisk through the deserted building. She was completely alone.

"Winona!" he called, running to catch up with her. "Winona, wait."

"What?" she said sharply, whipping around. Her gaze softened a little when she saw him, but it was obviously still guarded. "What do you want, Wallace?"

"You can't just run off after that," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Winona, this is important. You have no idea how unique this is."

"_I_ have no idea?" she hissed. "_I'm_ the one they chose as the new supervisor, Wallace. Do you think I don't know how strange that is? When I'm sitting next to people like you and Wattson? Do you think I didn't notice how quiet the room got after he said my name?"

"Then, Winona, you have to come back - "

"And do what? Listen to more people insult me? Listen to more people tell me that I'm not as good as someone like you?" Her words lashed out like ice, slicing bitterly through the air.

Silence hung thickly as Wallace could not think of a single thing to say to console her. Her eyes hardened with every second that passed.

"They're all leaving," said a warm, rumbling voice from behind them. Wallace whipped around.

All the other gym leaders had arrived in the hallway. Wattson scratched his beard and spoke again. "The reporters, I mean. We can stay here. They've all decided to buzz around the Association instead. It's our lucky day."

Winona was staring both apprehensively and challengingly at the group of powerful trainers. The hall was deathly quiet for a moment. Then Flannery shrugged, stepped to the front of the group, and threw her arms around Winona. "I'm cool with this. You'll be a great supervisor, Winona."

"Thanks, Flannery," Winona replied, hugging the younger girl. With that, all the other leaders smiled and accepted it as well, patting Winona on the back or shoulder as they passed. Even Wattson boomed with laughter and said that it was far better for authority to rest in the hands of young, capable trainers rather than old codgers like himself.

Eventually, it was just Wallace and Winona in the corridor again. Winona let out a great sigh at last, her shoulders dropping as she rubbed her face wearily in her hands. "I suppose this won't be too bad, then."

"It's just so strange," said Wallace, shaking his head. Winona glanced over at him.

"I know that _they_ all think it's strange. The reporters - the public, I mean." She grabbed Wallace's arm and turned him around to face her. "But do you?"

"Winona – what do you mean? Of course it's strange, we just went over this. You shouted at me for trying to explain it."

"No, I mean _you_. Do you think I am not the right choice for this position?"

"No," said Wallace quickly. "No, of course not. It's just that – traditionally, the elected head is the most senior gym leader, or the strongest one. It's always too hard for any other to gain loyalty from the rest of the leaders."

"Which is all people will ever say about me as a supervisor," Winona said flatly, her head turned towards the ground. "The random choice. The one who wasn't powerful or wise. She is not as experienced as Wattson; will never be as skilled as Wallace - "

"Winona, don't say that."

"You believe it's true!" she accused, glaring at him. "I _know_ you do, Wallace. I know your pride. I know the rest of them believe it, too. And now I will always be compared. I always have been, standing next to you! I'm always looked down on. Always. You're a better trainer, a stronger leader than I am. You're more experienced. By all counts, they should have picked you rather than me."

Wallace couldn't answer. He wanted more than anything to say that it wasn't true, that he didn't believe any of that, that she truly _was_ the best person for the job, her skills and her strengths and her charm –

But the words would not come. Deep in his heart, in a part of himself that he hated for its pride and vanity, Wallace knew that he would be lying if he said any of those things. What did that make him, then? Did he really glory in his fame as much as she claimed that he did?

A tense silence filled the space around them, unbearably loud in Wallace's ears. All of a sudden, he couldn't look at her; he couldn't bear to see the pain and tears shining in her eyes.

"I will do my job," she said quietly. "I will do it to the best of my abilities. They elected me, and I won't back down from my duty. I'm sorry if it will never live up to what I'm sure _you_ could do in my place. I can't – I can't stand next to you anymore, Wallace. My position is different now."

She whipped around again, her lilac-colored hair flying out behind her as she stormed away. Wallace stared after her as she left, frozen, wishing there were some way – _any_ way – to call her back - he couldn't lose her, he couldn't hurt her like this –

But all the same, he knew that nothing he could say would help the situation. As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Wallace cursed under his breath, slamming his fist into the wall and almost welcoming the accompanying throb of pain in his fingers. It spread slowly into the palm of his hand, through his arm, his chest, until it met with the ache in his heart, where it immediately paled to nothing in comparison.

Why? Why did he have to be this way? Why did he have to push her away, believing himself so incredibly talented and wonderful, as he, in a way, always had?

He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head to the floor, furious with himself and his own foolish pride. No, he was not so wonderful after all.

_I should have realized that long ago._


	5. V

**A/N: **These scenes are all much shorter, but soon you'll be seeing direct lines and scenes from the manga, only in written form. I can't live up to the original, but this was fun to write, that's for sure!

* * *

"You miss him, don't you?" said Flannery, placing a cleaned plate on the side of the sink. She picked up another and began to scrub it, soap and water all the way up to her elbows.

Winona glanced over at her friend and frowned. "What?"

"Wallace. You miss him. You have that look on your face again. Sometimes, you sort of slow down, and I can see it in your eyes."

A little miffed, Winona sped up her folding of their recently laundered clothes, watching the stack get messier and messier. It reminded her of how Wallace dealt with dirty clothes – as a massive pile at the foot of a bed. "I don't miss him."

"Whatever," shrugged Flannery, turning back to the dishes. "It's okay, Winona. You're allowed to miss him - he's a great guy. He still loves you, you know."

Winona didn't respond, and to her relief, Flannery didn't press the subject. But that night, sharing the room with Flannery, Winona opened her mouth to ask a question, the one thought that had never left her mind, no matter how much jealousy and anger clouded her better judgment.

How could she let him know that she still cared about him, too?

But before any words came out, Winona thought better of it, turning over and falling asleep to Flannery's deep breathing and the sound of a loudly ticking clock.

* * *

"I'm worried about whether the leaders can unite in a crisis."

They were by themselves in Winona's control room, the first time in many months that they had been alone together. Wallace's mind, though too wary to whirl with wayward thoughts and emotions now, was still buzzing and alert. The old feelings and flush of emotion still were present in his heart.

It was strange to be there with her – just the two of them – when she was so tired. Wallace could always tell when she was stressed, or worried. She would stand very straight and very still, as if her calmness could somehow extend into the turmoil around them. And now – she was tenser than he had ever seen her.

Winona glared at him, fire burning in her gaze. "Are you questioning my leadership?" she hissed.

"Of course not," said Wallace deliberately, holding up his hands in self-defense. Her words often stung; he had never grown used to it. "I know you're trying your hardest. But I also know how difficult it is to pull this together when everyone's so different. Hence, don't try to do everything yourself."

Wallace paused, meeting her fiery gaze coolly. Hesitantly – he didn't know if he had the right to do this - he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, just as he had so many times before. He spoke quietly, very aware that she had not jerked out of his grasp quite yet, ad he watched her for any change of expression, anything at all.

"Isn't it better to rely on someone else every once in a while?"

For split second – a period of time so brief that if he had blinked, he would have missed it - the fire in her gaze disappeared. Only because he knew her so well, knew every nearly nuance and sparkle in her eyes, was he able to recognize a sudden flash of uncertainty.

Then her eyes hardened again, and she slapped his hand away from her shoulder. "The Association appointed _me_ to lead the gym leaders. And I have to do my duty. Don't you _ever_ say anything inappropriate of your position!"

She whisked away, leaving Wallace's hand hanging open in the empty air. He lowered it slowly, watching her go, a familiar, numb pain stretching through his heart at the sight.

He could remember only too well the first time she had walked away from him like that, her back straight and proud, her final words ones of disappointment and regret rather than bitterness and rage.

Suddenly Winona stopped in her tracks. She looked as if she were about to turn around, then stopped; her voice was so direct and final, yet so soft that Wallace almost didn't hear.

"We're… no longer related in that way."

Then she left, leaving him alone again with nothing but his thoughts, his worries, and the impending danger to keep him company. Wallace stared at the place where she'd left, let his hand fall all the way back to his side, then looked down at the ground, closing his eyes tight and missing her more than he ever had before.

* * *

Her land was in chaos.

She _had_ to fight. She couldn't stay there any longer, watching her friends struggle and suffer – Roxanne and Brawly, melting under Groudon's blazing strength; Flannery and Wattson, drowning in Kyogre's fury –

And she was just waiting there, pointlessly; she _wasn't_ fighting –

Her fingernails dug into her own palms as she clenched her hands into first. She had been born to battle. She couldn't stay here and pass messages or something else equally unhelpful while her friends risked their lives and the lives of their Pokémon to gain victory. Groudon and Kyogre were far too powerful; _every_ gym leader was needed to fight them off. And now – with the President in his massive air command-station, she was free of her supervisor's duties.

_It's time to fight, _she thought. The mantra echoed in her head, overpowering almost everything else. _It's time for me to fight for Hoenn, for everything I've ever known!_

At the moment, she and Wallace were the only two gym leaders not yet involved. Wallace had agreed to go aid in the battle against Groudon, which left Kyogre as the one least protected. Winona released Altaria from its Pokeball and pulled on her helmet, steeling herself, ready to take part in the battle at last. _It's time!_

"Winona?"

The voice caught her by surprise. She turned, already on her Pokémon, already wearing her goggles and gloves.

Wallace was there, holding out his hand with a calm, careful expression on his face. His were unreadable, and yet, she thought she somehow knew what he meant. It was a simple question - a question and a request. The realization suddenly became all too clear in Winona's mind. Each of them might very well be heading to the place where they would die, today, now. They did not have years ahead of them in which to grow old and patch their differences, they did not have days to spend talking beneath the sun and the stars, they did not have seconds to waste with idle thoughts.

_I might never see him again. _

How could she leave his question unanswered if they were truly heading to their last stand?

Slowly, cautiously, Winona reached out and placed her hand in his, half-afraid that she would change her mind in the middle of the movement. But when her hand met his, she found herself wishing that she wasn't wearing her gloves, so that she could feel the familiar warmth of his skin against hers, the rough calluses on his palm born from years of harsh training.

Wallace simply squeezed her hand gently, his eyes flashing with something that had to be fear – fear and sadness. Then let go of her hand and slid into his air-car, speeding away to where he was most needed, where his unmatched skill could, quite possibly, save the entire Hoenn region.

Winona watched him go, biting her lip and narrowing her eyes determinedly to stop any lone tear from escaping. This was no time for tears, recollections, or the lovesick hopes of the heart. Quickly, she focused, kicking Altaria into the air and heading towards the open ocean to fight for her world.

* * *

"You wished to be near her by becoming a gym leader. Am I not right?"

Steven was watching him carefully, his offer of the Champion's cloak still in debate. For a second, Wallace did not respond. Steven's words were bluntly truthful, the way he had always spoken to his closest friend, the words Wallace always needed to hear. Wallace closed his eyes and turned his head down, waving a dismissive hand and shaking his head at his old friend. Now was not the time for stalling.

"You're a sharp one, Steven," Wallace said quietly. "No matter. They needed someone worthy for the post. You proved to be a capable champion, fending off challenger after challenger at the League."

He looked up again, sure of his decision. What had Steven been planning, what had he been _thinking_, giving up the cloak now? It was madness, and for something so foolish – _no_. He had stepped down for a reason so many years ago. And even as proud as he was, Wallace could not accept it. Not yet.

Steven stared at him with narrowed eyes. "So, you're saying - "

"I need a better reason to accept the cloak," Wallace hissed, hitting his friend's hand away.

Being the "rightful owner" was not enough. Their prowess at battle was perhaps not exactly the same, but it was similar enough; Steven was incredibly talented. However, Wallace remembered very well why he had turned the position down, and the same reasons still applied.

He could never forget the look in Winona's eyes whenever she saw his power and skill.

Steven glared at him, his gray eyes smoldering. But there was no time for the argument to continue. Groudon was growing more powerful by the second; Roxanne's block had faded – she must have been defeated. Fear and anger filled Wallace's mind, driving away every other conscious though. They had to track down the jewels, and they had to do it _now_. There was too much danger here - and everywhere in the world - for them to concern themselves with things as trivial titles and ranks.

Steven could try to convince him to take the cloak some other time, Wallace thought bitterly. Some other time, when they were all safe, when the world itself was safe.

* * *

"If you recognize this cloak, there's no need to spell my name. If you _cannot_ recognize this cloak… you're not fit to know my name! In the name of this cloak, I shall rid Hoenn region of you two evildoers!"

With Steven's death fueling his every word, his every movement, Wallace was ready now, filled with the rage he needed to defeat Maxie and Archie with every ounce of skill and power that he possessed. He was the Champion of Hoenn, and there was no time to grieve for his fallen friend, no time second-guess his actions or hesitate in his attacks. Archie and Maxie muttered something, but Wallace ignored it, smirking at the stunned expressions on their faces.

"So you do recognize this cloak," Wallace said. "You are worthy of facing me in battle after all!"

Sapphire's shout from behind him was high-pitched and determined. "Wallace, I'll help!"

"I can handle them. Sapphire, go to Ruby now!"

Hoping desperately that she had listened – he couldn't put her into any more danger than she already put _herself_ into – Wallace focused all his attention on the two men. They were clearly unable to compete with Wallace's attacks. But the expressions on their faces barely wavered from cruel amusement as they glanced at each other, then back to Wallace.

"Hmph, you're strong, I'll give you that," said Archie.

"The Champion of Hoenn, indeed," said Maxie. "But surely you didn't think we'd be unprepared for such a situation?"

"We have a trump card in our hands!" added Archie. "You see, there's a gym leader who's been buzzing around our ears like an annoying fly." The two men laughed and said something else, but Wallace barely heard it; it was as if the two men had suddenly shot miles away from him.

_No. It can't be – not her -_

Their Tentacruel was raising a woman's body high into the air. It was someone he recognized at once, with long, lavender hair; a slender, tired figure; and impossibly distinctive helmet and goggles. Vaguely, by the pain in his throat, Wallace realized that he had shouted her name.

Somehow, they'd captured Winona. She was pale, struggling, still awake – _still alive_ – but her eyes were wide and shone with fear; there was nothing she could do to escape. Gritting his teeth, Wallace tightened his grip on his Pokeballs, about to scream again, only this time, it would be a battle cry, fueled by rage and valor. They would _not_ harm Winona.

"Hold it, hero," Maxie said, smiling cruelly. "I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you. Take a good look!"

At his command, a tentacle tightened viciously around Winona's body, and somehow Wallace heard her gasp in pain, even though he could hear nothing else around him except the blood pounding in his ears. And suddenly their intent became clear. If he did not surrender – if he did not give in, allow them to win the battle – they would kill her. Without hesitation, without regret, without remorse; they would slaughter anyone who stood in their way. Already Winona was struggling to breathe, her face ashen, her eyes wide and unfocused. Wallace stopped in his tracks, so furious that he could hardly breathe, glaring at the two men as if his stare could somehow incinerate them on the spot.

"Heh, so you're not all that stupid. No matter how strong you are, you can't do a thing now. Return your Pokémon into your Pokeballs, and place them on the floor."

Wallace took his Pokeballs and laid them on the ground, his head down, his rage making him shake where he stood. _I should be fighting. I'm the goddamn Champion, and look at me, surrendering like an obedient dog!_

If Ruby or Sapphire were in his place – the children with the fate of the world in their hands – would they do anything different? Would they trade the life of a friend for the chance at victory – or would they be less blinded by love, and able to discover a way to save their friend and defeat Maxie and Archie? _What are they thinking, watching the Hoenn Champion now, faced with his one and only weakness?_ Wallace wondered bitterly. Surely he should be primarily concerned the protection of Hoenn as a whole, value the lives of the many above the life of the one, and make a small sacrifice for the greater good.

But couldn't let her die. Not Winona.

"Good boy," grinned Archie.

A single tear fell onto the ground at the exact moment that the switches on his Pokeballs were destroyed by Houndoom's flames. Wallace bit his lip so hard that it bled, fisted his hands, trembled with the rage at his own helplessness. There was no going back now. Before he knew what was happening, the Tentracruel had dropped Winona, then hit Wallace hard in the back. He slammed into the ground, dirt and sharp stone cutting into face with agonizing slashes. Hot, sticky blood coated one side of his face, clouding his vision. Somehow, he landed next to Winona, who was still conscious despite the many injuries covering her body. She was shaking and bleeding, one of her hands reaching out as if she intended to push herself to her knees.

He was not worthy to face her. He, the Champion of Hoenn, had surrendered like a worthless coward. He could not stop the bitter tears now; he could only close his eyes and let them fall silently to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Winona," he said at last, holding a trembling hand to her face. Selfishly, he longed to feel her skin just once more, see forgiveness in her eyes, hear his name on her lips. "I'm so, so sorry. I failed… I lost…"

She was looking at him, her eyes pleading for something that Wallace couldn't give. She moved her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. Her eyes fluttered shut; her body seemed to collapse into the ground – she was unconscious, hurt, exhausted. His fingers on her face, he suddenly realized, were now dark with her blood.

Everyone but the two children had been defeated now. Wallace closed his own eyes and prayed fervently that Ruby and Sapphire – their students, their disciples – would succeed in time to save them.


	6. VI

**A/N: **To anyone who has already read this fic - this is NOT a "new" chapter. I just edited the whole fic and all the chapters were WAY too long, so I had to change the way the story was split up, and add a new chapter. But of course, I'd love it if you read it all again - I did make many changes!

Thanks for reading, and please, don't forget to leave a review!

* * *

It was over. Everything, all the battles, all the fighting, all the death and danger and destruction.

It was all over. There was nothing but silence around her. The thing her mind registered was the sounds of nature, of Pokémon. Then came people. Everyone was starting to move, to realize what happened, to see that it had all ended. Next she realized that those two noises – Pokémon and people, shifting around through rubble – was _all_ she heard. No more screaming, no more roaring forces colliding in the air.

Blinking through the blinding sunrise, Winona saw people either collapsed on the ground or barely on feet, too, staggering forward and staring around them. Winona glanced at the ground, seeing without comprehending, staring at all the marks left by the claws of the ancient Pokémon. Her arm trembled violently as she tried to push herself to her knees, but she finally made it, almost screaming out the loud and the angry pain that shot through her limbs.

A few feet away from her, one person wasn't moving, a man wearing the Champion's cloak. _Steven,_ she thought at once, crawling over to help him.

But when she reached him, extending a hand to shake his shoulder – her gaze fell upon his face. The breath that she had been about to take seemed to stop on its way to her lungs, sticking tightly in her throat.

_It was Wallace._

There was a long, still bleeding cut on his forehead, surrounded by yellow and purple bruises; dark blood stained his hair, his skin, and his clothes. His shirt was torn at the sleeve, revealing shallow but plentiful scratches all over his right arm, which was bent at an odd angle. Blindly Winona felt for a pulse on his left wrist, carefully avoiding his bloody fingers. Relief shuddered through her body when she felt a tiny beat under her fingertips. "Wallace," she said, tapping his face. "Wallace! Wake up. It's over."

He let out a small groan. Hurriedly Winona helped him to sit up as he opened his eyes blearily, apparently barely able to focus on her. "Winona?" he muttered. She nodded. "What – what happened?" he asked, his words slurred a little. He winced and put a hand to his forehead, but she forced it back down gently.

"You're hurt, Wallace. If you can stand – I'll help you to the hospital."

"No – you… what about you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Winona said at once, though her head throbbed violently as she spoke. Placing Wallace's arm around her shoulders, Winona heaved him up, the two of them making their way towards nearest building that wasn't crumbling to pieces. There were already some other people there using the place as a temporary refuge and hospital. There were no doctors, but plenty of supplies, somehow, and someone pointed Winona to a torn, cushioned chair and a stack of bandages. She sat Wallace down in the chair and picked up a wet rag, cleaning the blood off of his face and arms, careful not to nudge his broken right arm.

"Do you know what happened to Sapphire and Ruby?" Wallace asked, closing his eyes Winona worked on him.

"No," she answered, worried. "I – I haven't seen them at all."

_Surely, if the fighting was over, they would be here, wouldn't they?_ thought Winona. They would be, unless…

No. She could not think like that, not now, not when there was so much she didn't know.

Wallace shook his head wearily until Winona was forced to hold his chin to keep him still while she cleaned his cut. He stared past her, his eyes blank, filled with none of their usual cheer and sparkle. "They had better not be dead," he murmured. "Steven was a large enough loss for this mess."

Winona froze. "Steven is dead?" she blurted out, too shocked to stop herself. Barely a second later she longed to take back the words, seeing the pain flash across Wallace's face. _Of course,_ she thought miserably. _That's why Wallace has the cloak._

Wallace only nodded bluntly.

"I'm so sorry, Wallace," she whispered, her hand trembling a bit as she started to wash the blood from his arm. "I – I didn't know."

"There is always a cost," murmured Wallace. They didn't speak again as Winona continued her work, placing bandages over his forehead and crafting a makeshift sling for his injured arm. Her eyes seemed empty of tears now, and through the haze of disbelief and sadness, she noticed that Wallace's eyes, too, were dry, yet full of despair.

There was nothing more that they could do, she realized. Nothing except care for all they had left – the survivors, their friends. Each other. As Winona finished her bandaging, Wallace used his left hand to catch her slender fingers. Silently he brought her hand to his rough lips.

He still stared blankly at the ground, but he held her hand there, as if it were the only thing that could possibly be real. Winona closed her own eyes and did not draw away.

* * *

Collapsed in an armchair, Wallace blinked tiredly, smiling a little as he watched Ruby frozen on the ground in shock, while Sapphire jumped up and looked at the boy at once. Wallace couldn't catch their words, for there was a sudden, earsplitting roar as they woke, everyone in the room determined to make their gratitude. All the Hoenn gym leaders, Tate and Liza finally among them; the director; the entire Elite Four; Steven, a little more shaken up than most from his possession of the three Regis, but recovering; and so many others were there to thank the two Pokedex holders, Ruby and Saphhire.

In the end, it had been two children who had saved their region from destruction. They might not have done it alone – but they were the ones who did it. Two children.

Wallace tried to clap with his bandaged arm, but he felt a small, stern hand rest firmly on his shoulder. Looking up, he grinned weakly as Winona raised her eyebrow at him. Sighing, Wallace relaxed back into the chair, glad that Winona didn't remove her hand from his shoulder.

Oddly, when Ruby and Sapphire stared around the room, their mouths dropped when they saw Steven and Norman. Ordinarily, Wallace would have wondered. but he let it pass, grinning at Steven and shrugging weakly instead. He was too exhausted to think so hard.

Distantly he thought he remembered something happening to Steven. Was he hurt, perhaps, or missing during the battle? Regardless, wasn't important now, Wallace knew.

All that mattered was that they were safe and well. The war was over. Winona's hands were warm on his shoulders, and Wallace thought that, perhaps, the ending of such a fierce battle could quite easily inspire new hope in all who took part.

* * *

_Did you fall in love with him again?_

Sapphire's words, spoken so innocently and cheerfully, lingered in Winona's mind all throughout the long, dreadful wedding reception. Attending fancy parties was _not_ her favorite thing to do. She stood alone at a side table, staring broodingly at all the dancing couples, a glass of champagne in her hand that she didn't feel like drinking. It was bad enough that the reception was still on the ship, as well – Winona could feel the boat swaying and rocking a little with the tide; it was quite unnerving. She didn't notice at first when someone approached her, took the glass from her hand, and set it down on the table.

"Would you like to dance?" said Wallace, offering her his arm and gesturing towards the center of the room, where all the other dancers were. "You look a little bored over here."

Winona studied him carefully. His face was as cheery and innocent as ever. She sighed. "I'd love to. Thank you."

Taking his arm, Winona allowed Wallace to lead her to the dance floor, her heart speeding up a little as they walked. Surely this was better than standing alone for the whole party, wasn't it? Wallace placed a practiced hand on her hip, held her hand, and began to move in time with the music. He was keeping a polite distance, she noticed.

He was taller than she was, so she had to look up a little to see his face. His lips barely turned up at the corner, that small, charming smile that she hadn't even seen him wear around anyone else. "Don't look so bitter, Winona," he said carelessly. "You can enjoy yourself anywhere if you try."

"These are all so ridiculous, these kind of parties," Winona said, not really thinking. "It's as if they are made to make every girl who _doesn't_ have an attractive guy with her feel like a failure."

"Ah, you are not failure, my dear. You're just far more brilliant and sensible than the rest of them."

Glancing over at him, Winona saw the smile in his eyes. A familiar tingle ran through her body, and she heard Sapphire's words resound in her head once again. _Had_ she fallen in love with him again after all? But everything that she herself had said to Sapphire was true, as well. It had been so hard, to always stand next to a man that claimed so much talent. How could she go through that again – the pain and the estrangement that had separated them for so long, ruined what had been so beautiful?

Without warning, Wallace's fingers brushed against her cheek, and he was suddenly close, so close that she burned with the familiar heat of his body next to hers. They had stopped dancing, the song over. All the pairs were beginning to disperse. Wordlessly, Wallace pulled her aside so that they were standing a little ways apart from the crowd.

"Sometimes," he whispered, his eyes not leaving hers and his hand resting warmly on her cheek, "it is better to _not_ be so sensible, right?"

"Perhaps you're right," breathed Winona. She didn't remember telling herself to speak.

But it didn't matter anymore. Wallace leaned forward and kissed her, and only then did she realize just how much she had missed his lips and his touch. She burned for him again, just like she had all those years ago; her body and mind alight for the kind of happiness she had forgotten how to experience. She didn't care if it was a risk; she didn't care if there were people watching them now. All she knew was him – he made her smile, laugh, scream, cry.

He made her love.

Wallace was the one who would interrupt her life, tease her, move mountains to protect her, listen to her, love her. He just had that inexplicable effect on her that no one else did; his mere presence made her spirits lift. It seemed impossible that Wallace still loved her after everything she'd done, everything she'd said – just as impossible as it was that she still loved him.

With his lips warm and insistent against hers, Winona pressed herself closer to him, her arms over both his shoulders now. She felt his hands run through her hair, float over her back, settle firmly on her waist, just as he had done so many times before.

Glancing up at him, she smiled disbelievingly. "You're impossible, Wallace, you know that?" she said. "Just when I had been getting over you."

Wallace grinned. "I would never let that happen. I've been fighting for you for years."

"I know."

"So you're sure, then?" he asked softly. "Despite everything, you're sure? Most things that made you leave haven't changed."

Behind the light teasing, she could hear genuine worry and tension in his voice. His eyes flicked between each of hers, as if he were trying to spot misgivings in one or the other.

Winona took a deep breath. "I'm sure. You're still so talented, so skilled, always the best in what you do. Still better than me – in those aspects. You're still the Champion. And you know what? I don't care anymore, Wallace. Not as long as you're always _my_ Champion."

Wallace kissed her again, fiercely this time, delightedly, lifting her in the air as he did so. He stopped to speak only once he had left her breathless in his arms.

"I have _always_ been yours, Winona."

* * *

Wallace woke suddenly, immediately aware of the empty half of the bed that Winona usually occupied. The sheets were still warm, and the door to their room was cracked open. They usually closed it before they got into bed for the night. Placing his feet on the cold wood floor, Wallace grabbed a robe and hurried through the quiet living room before reaching the cool, grassy outdoors.

As he had guessed, Winona was there, also wearing just a robe. She was staring at the stars. Wallace couldn't possibly count the number of times they had watched the sky together. Standing behind her, Wallace wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, feeling her turn her head towards him and smile as she touched his cheek. She kissed him too and grinned against his lips, her eyelashes brushing against his skin when she blinked. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said quietly, sounding apologetic.

"I would rather be out here with you," Wallace replied. He hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head. Winona pointed overhead at the thousands stars and constellations.

"I came out here because of this. Watch."

Wallace looked up, but saw nothing vibrant or extraordinary in the still-beautiful night sky. He frowned, then looked back at her. "It looks the same to me. Though still gorgeous, of course."

"Just watch."

He turned his face up to the sky with her, but it was difficult to maintain focus, for he found himself drawn - as always - to gaze at her instead. But eventually she pointed, speaking quickly and excitedly. "Look, Wallace!"

A tiny speck of light flashed across the sky. Another followed it shortly. And without further warning, all across the entire night sky poured a shower of shooting stars, dazzling and clear. Winona laughed, her eyes transfixed. She glanced from Wallace to the wildly sparkling space above them. "Do you see them?" she asked eagerly.

"Of course I see them," said Wallace. "They're brilliant. Beautiful!"

"They really are," breathed Winona. "I'm glad you woke up, Wallace."

"So am I."

Together they watched as the brief but powerful meteor shower came to an end. A few final specks traced final, bright trails across the night sky before all of the stars were still again, twinkling warmly down at them. Wallace kept his hands around Winona's waist as she leaned into him and placed her hands over his.

"I love you," he said. She kissed him, her eyes softly alight when she pulled away.

"Love you too," she whispered. "Come on. We should sleep at least a little bit tonight, I think."

Back in the warmth of their shared bed, Winona curled into Wallace's side, and he smiled, running a hand absently through her smooth hair. Glancing out the window, he wondered briefly if there would be any more shooting stars that night.

But then Winona's hand clasped his, and Wallace turned away from the window, kissing her on the cheek before closing his eyes as well.


End file.
